Loot Boxes Spark Lawsuit in Austria Due to Gambling Laws
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Sony is being sued in Austria over loot boxes in popular video games FIFA 23 and Madden NFL 23. Sony is not directly involved in the production of the games, but it provides the console they are played on.
Loot boxes are randomly assigned packs with players, squad items and collectibles. Salburg is suing FIFA for violating gambling laws. Sony is also involved in similar lawsuits in Austria. The case is still pending. Both sides are gathering witnesses. The law states that the government is the only gambling provider. Since loot boxes created by the developers and only offered in-game, they violate fair commerce laws by eliminating external competition.
Loot boxes are one form of microtransactions in video games. Sony has a stronger base than many previous targets as players can see clearer descriptions of rewards before purchasing packs. The matter has brought discourse worldwide as interested parties have failed to reach a uniform resolution. The United Kingdom failed in July to impose any sort of ban on loot boxes after 22 months of debate. Activision’s game “Diablo Immortal” missed its May launch date in Belgium and the Netherlands due to restrictions on the loot box system.
